Antique Pennsylvania Two-Drawer Dower Chest, Lancaster County, Dated 1856 - "Elmina Stauffer"

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Antique Pennsylvania Two-Drawer Dower Chest, Lancaster County, Dated 1856 - "Elmina Stauffer"

A superb Pennsylvania dower chest with documented provenance, … Read more Antique Pennsylvania Two-Drawer Dower Chest, Lancaster County, Dated 1856 - "Elmina Stauffer"

A superb Pennsylvania dower chest with documented provenance, inscribed inside the lid "Elmina Stauffer 1856," most likely from Lancaster County. The chest is constructed of pine and poplar with a cherry till lid and cherry drawer fronts on the two dovetailed lower drawers, retaining their original brass hardware.
Construction details reflect careful period craftsmanship throughout: hand-wrought iron strap hinges secured with early nails, mortise-and-tenon applied lid moldings, and a fully dovetailed case. The drawers are dovetail constructed with original square nails securing the bottoms. The case interior is exceptionally clean and odor-free.
This is an unusual and desirable small-scale form — a two-drawer dower chest with Ogee bracket feet and lower lip-molded drawers, offering a stately, diminutive presence that's harder to find than the more common full-size examples. The named inscription with a specific date is a wonderful bonus for collectors, giving this piece a real connection to its original owner.
Dimensions: 39 1/2"W x 19"D x 24"H (38" case width)
Condition: Older refinished surface. Clean, odor-free case interior. The Ogee bracket feet appear to be a later replacement for what would have originally been turned feet. Three modern screws have been added to one hinge for stability. Otherwise excellent original construction throughout.
Materials: Pine and poplar case, cherry till lid and drawer fronts, original hardware See less